I'm going to write a blog post of those that I love writing and of those that I know you enjoy reading.
We are going to talk about the SMU gloves used by Pepe Reina (Bayern Munchen) and Claudio Bravo (FC Barcelona). For those of you that have joined us recentley and still don't know what SMU means, here the defenition: Specially Made Unique. The brands use it when they modify a glove for the professional players to adapt it to their personal preferences. And I want to insist in the term: Modification, not improvements. The products that we get in the stores have the same high quality material that the ones the pro's get.
Today, in my hands, I hold the Predator Zones Pro from Reina (Bayern Munchen) and the Predator Zones Fingertip from Claudio Bravo (FC Barcelona). So we are going to analyze them to the smallest details to see what they change and what they leave.
PEPE REINA
Since he started in adidas, and it has been a long time, Reina has always modify his gloves to the fullest. When he started in adidas it was a time when the gloves didn't have to many tech specs. So now the possibilities of customization are huge. Although Reina is a player who tries to simplify his gloves, with the modification he tries to get a more classic glove instead of a high tech glove.
First thing you must know is that this glove, like all glove adidas sends to their pro's, are produced in Germany. Simple reason: Very small quantities are produced. How many gloves does a professional goalkeeper receive for the next three months? No more than 10 pairs, so it's not worth creating an assembly line for them. The pro's receive their gloves several weeks before the gloves are available to the customers. Therefore these gloves are manufactured as samples.
Nice detail in the label: "Only the best for the athlete"
The first modification that I can see is that the reinforcement piece on the base of the palm is not a high density rubber like the one we get in the normal line, it's a simple latex piece in red. This actually makes sense when it comes to a glove for a pro. It's a piece that is supposed to make it more durable, specially on abrasive surfaces. But when it comes to a professional goalkeeper that is not important because they can replace it frequently and they don't need it to be super durable.
The second modification is quite curiose. Pepe Reina does not use the elastic double wrist band, instead he prefers a traditional latex fastening. The thing is that adidas hasn't created a special one because they can give him the same one from the Predator Competition, The midrange model from the german brand. So in this case Reina prefers a midrange material instead of the top end material
And we finish with the most important functional aspect: The cut of the glove: The middle fingers have the exact same negative cut from the normal model. The changes come with the index and pinky. The inside features a negative cut but in the outside we can see it has a flat cut. Why? I don't now the reason, maybe it's to have more latex surface or to have less pressure on the fingers... However, it does change a lot with this modification.
CLAUDIO BRAVO
After Pepe Reina's SMU we go the the extreme opposite: Claudio Bravo. The goalkeeper for Chile does not make too many modifications on his Predator Zones Fingertip. Just for starters it's unusual to see a professional goalkeeper using a rollfinger, but in The UK where it's more common. In the interview we had with him he joked about this matter.
But still adidas produces his gloves in Germany, in the Herzogenaurach factory. This is probably because he needs to have his gloves ready several weeks before the release to the public.
The rollfingertip has no diference with the normal model. It's a traditional rollfinger with a latex extension in the back hand at the end of the fingers.
The piece on the base of the palm is again the exact same one as the comercial model. Claudio Bravo must be one of the few pros who doesn't take out that piece. Players like Reina, Carillas or Neuer ask to remove that piece and decorate it over the latex.
A piece that not too many player modify, I actually think that the only one who do change it are Reina and Reuer. It's the classic elastic double band. And in this case Caludio Bravo does not change it. It's the same as the comercial model.
With this review we can se to exteme sides: A pro who modifies it and almost gest a complete different model and a goalkeeper who adapst to the comercial materials.
If I was a player for adidas this is what I would ask for:
- Elastic material for the wrist band instead of neoprene.
- Hybrid cut roll-negative instead of negative cut.
What would you modify in if you could have a SMU?
Qué modificarías tú en el guante si adidas te ofrece hacer un SMU?
